Author Archives: John Heidt

The latest record from David Michael Miller is a mixture of soul, gospel, blues, pop, funk, and everything in between. Sometimes multiple styles of music come together in the same song, as in the transcendent “Hope Finds A Way.” The song starts as though (more…)

This coffeetable book mixes Juber’s personal story with his time as Paul McCartney’s guitarist in the last version of Wings from 1978 to 1981. As he puts it in his foreword, Juber basically had photos in a box for three decades and had forgotten about (more…)

Veteran jazz guitarist John Scofield has released a second album with Uberjam, which includes drummer Adam Detich, guitarist Avi Bortnick, and guest keyboardist John Medeski. It’s full of funk and soul, and we talked with Scofield shortly after the group started its current tour. Why the second record? We played a lot at the beginning […]

Tommy Emmanuel cautions against using “the V word” – virtuoso – when describing his work. “I want to make musical statements that stand the test of time,” he said. “I want what I’m doing [to be] more accessible, so I’m mostly interested in singers and (more…)

Mike Mattison is a veteran of the music wars, having for the past decade or so been the lead singer with the Derek Trucks Band and then moving to backup vocals when Trucks formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife. Here, on his first (more…)

The route taken by Jeff Golub in making Train Keeps A Rolling is unlike that followed by any other artist. Just as his previous record, Three Kings, was released, Golub suffered the collapse of one of his optic nerves, which caused loss of sight in that eye. (more…)

This album’s chock full of solid musicianship, including stylish guitar from co-producer Chris Bruce. Yet the story here, as it is on all Holmes Brothers records, is the vocals and the songs. Sherman and Wendell Holmes, plus Popsy Dixon, fill everything they do with (more…)

The latest from Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an homage to players and songs that influenced him while he was coming up. For the most part, it’s a splendid collection with some of the blistering guitar work you expect. “Palace Of The King” is soul heaven. (more…)

Here is a “best of” album by a band that’s not exactly a household name, nor does it have any hit songs. But don’t let that dissuade you. They’re a tight ensemble that plays an arresting mix of rock, folk, and psychedelic music (more…)